afghan / blanket – Page 7 – Crochet blog

Another busy week…

Published on March 15, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin12 Comments

It’s been another busy week at the Robins Nest…but we have still found time to get together and just be together…and I love that!

through the gate and down the path...

through the gate and down the path…

enjoying the very new spring sunshine

enjoying the very new spring sunshine

a birds eye view from the top

a birds eye view from the top

whose home could this be?

whose home could this be?

grape hyacinths

grape hyacinths

and tete a tetes

and tete a tetes

looking very spring like in my kitchen windowbox

looking very spring like in my kitchen windowbox

with University and work and the boys, life is taking over somewhat and not much hooking has been done. I have one blanket that is almost done and that I really want to get finished and sent off before I start my placement at the hospital in a couple of weeks. It’s just a simple granny and I am so near to finishing…

Alpine Nanna

Since this photo I have added a 3″ border of the base colour, which has given it a more finished edge…just deciding whether to fringe or not…What do you think?

A Bobbly Baby Blanket

Published on March 6, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

Simply classic

This is my latest finish and to be honest it has been uplifting to have a quick win with this one. It has been a a joy to hook and because the yarn was aran weight and I could use a larger hook, it grew at a pace.

warm and soft

warm and soft

chunky and drapes well

chunky and drapes well

a no fuss edge

a no fuss edge

crochet baby blanket, popcorn stitch

rows of popcorn stitches

The yarn is of course my trusted Stylecraft Special Aran in cream and I did not get to choose the colour this time, as this is an order… I have really enjoyed working in one tone, and the pattern lends itself beautifully to a block of one colour. I will most certainly be returning to this pattern, details of which can be found below. The really fabulous part of this blanket is that the back looks just as pretty as the front …

the back

perfect for any new born.

Pattern details:

Lullaby Luvie by Tiffany Krucek in ‘Crocheting’

published by Company’s Coming Publishing Limited. 2013

A meander through my mind….

Published on January 25, 2015January 26, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin8 Comments

This is just a quick update for a year of projects, or YOP as I have being referring to it through out my posts. We are actually about half way through this year long project…yes it started in Summer 2014!

just had to stop the car the other day for this cheeky chappy! — I just had to stop the car the other day for this cheeky chappy!

I have not submitted a YOP post for a while, mainly as I had been working on these cosy blankets …and I have not much else to offer, in terms of started or completed projects on my YOP list. I have however, had a few sleepless nights, during which my mind has been turning over plans and patterns and I have been honing my skills over this last couple of weeks, learning new stitches and techniques, which I will take great joy in sharing with you over the coming days and weeks.

I am preparing a new pattern for you too, which will use some free form crochet and maybe even some felting and use of texture…which, I hope in turn will feed into a crochet wall hanging, which I plan and that does feature on my YOP list. So for now that is my YOP update…just in case you were thinking I had fallen off the face of the Earth all together. If you are not participating in YOP, but would like to, you can still join in… check it out just here.

xxxxx

The End of my Cosy Journey

Published on January 19, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin27 Comments

: The ‘His and Her’s cosy blanket

As promised, here are the pictures of the ‘His and Her’s Cosy blanket’ set. This most enjoyable hooky adventure started back in November 2014, when I fell upon this oh so easy and yet oh so fulfilling pattern, details of which I will list at the end of this post, so you too can embark on your very own cosy escapade.

'her's' — ‘her’s’

The colour way is simply delicious and has the romance of femininity, which just flounces through the overall blanket, making it just perfect for wrapping up in. For details of yarn and colours, please see below.

‘his’

The colour way of the ‘his’ blanket was inspired by the Eastern Bluebird, both blankets incorporate 15 different colours, 7 of which are common in both, and have identical row placement, giving them the same overall tone and therefore linking them as a set.

the blankets share 7 common colours and row placement

Each blanket is bordered with 4 rows of colour, the first 2 rows being shared by each blanket

denim, camel, plum and rose

denim, camel, turquoise, and petrol

If the truth be told, I’m missing hooking these beautiful blankets… I really have enjoyed my journey and I will definitely be returning to this pattern again and again. I will leave you with some more pictures and the links below.

Cosycattage blanket, ayarnyrobin, crochet blankets

Cosy Cottage Blanket by Attic 24

DSC_0094 (1)

Pattern

Yarn

her colour way

his colour way

xxx

The ‘his’ cosy colourway

Published on December 18, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

The 'his' cosy blanket by Lucy of Attic 24 — The ‘his’ cosy blanket by Lucy of Attic 24

I have been asked several times what colours I am using in my Dad’s cosy blanket, so thought I would show you with my colour pegs

the 'his' colour way — the ‘his’ colour way

so from the khaki at the bottom of the page and going clockwise, I have chosen

Khaki Turquoise

Parchment Meadow

Aster Cloud Blue

Teal Walnut

Mocha Grey

Royal Petrol

Camel Silver

Denim

The yarn is of course Stylecraft Special DK

consistent colours

The above 7 colours are what I am calling my consistent colours… these are the colours that feature in my Mom’s cosy cottage blanket and will appear in exactly the same order in both blankets and will be the common link… so there you have it and now you know!

xxx

This Cosy Journey continues

Published on December 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin23 Comments

I posted earlier in the week about my big disaster in the Christmas present crochet arena… a calamity which at any other time I would have perceived as a mishap, but at this time of year, has escalated into an undue burden, helped only in that it was as a consequence of a school girl error on my part…in short I only had myself to blame!!

almost done!

After long evenings of hard pressed hooking I have completed the body of the ‘her’ part of the ‘his and hers’ blanket set…and have commenced the ‘his’ blanket. To relieve the pressure, I have decided to set my goal more realistically and I aim to have both blankets finished to border stage…after all Christmas is all about love and as the intended recipients are my Mom and Dad and they love me very much…I can complete the borders if necessary on Boxing Day.

even the ends have been woven in!

The Cosy Cottage blanket is just so beautifully girly and I have, despite my error, loved, loved, loved hooking it… I think my Mom will be so pleased with the colours too. I have followed the colour sequence that Lucy from Attic 24, used in her cottage ripple blanket, take a look if you want all the details of Lucy’s exquisite colour placement.

colour therapy

This is how the ‘his’ blanket, which I am naming the Eastern Bluebird Cosy blanket is looking so far…

6 bands done!

I love how the essence of the blanket changes and grows with each colour band that is lovingly added.

for my Dad

Guess what I’m off to do now…. yes, this cosy journey continues.

xxx

16 days to go!

Published on December 8, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin17 Comments

colour therapy

Just a short update this week and here is why…..

It is with great panic that I have to report that I am still hooking the main body of this blanket, which is my Mom’s Christmas present (I have one to start for my Dad, yet, hence the panic!!)

I had almost finished it last week, when I noticed a distinct increase in stitches, meaning the sides were not straight. The reality of this meant that I had to rip out over a weeks worth of hooking and so now I am behind…seriously! My ONLY saving grace might be that I finish work on the 18th so may be able to make some time up then.

My error…simply becoming complacent and not counting every 4th row or so as this is such a simple pattern. Anyway, let’s not dwell, lesson learnt and it is such a lovely pattern that I am still very much in love with it.

Now, I must get back to my hook

colour ways

Published on November 25, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

Attic 24's 'cottage colour way' — Attic 24’s ‘cottage colour way’

This is not my idea, but how clever to keep a record of your favourite yarns and to use as a tool to make colour choices. I chose the colours below for a blanket I am making and it took well over 2 hrs to painstakingly choose them, looking at my screen trying to decide if the colour way was just right… this will make it so much easier in future and certainly more fun!

for my Dad

2014-11-24 14.02.17 — wooden pegs and yarn!

Stylecraft DK Special is my all time, go to yarn, because it has an amazing choice of 60 colours, it is washable, dryable, durable and affordable!

I think this is a great idea…..thanks Lucy x

Cosy Afternoon

Published on November 24, 2014November 24, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin22 Comments

Today I have had a lovely cosy afternoon hooking happily, listening to the radio, I will show you some pictures of that gorgeousness in a minute.

down by the brook

This however, is where I walked this morning with the dogs, unbelievable that this little path which runs alongside the brook, is just 2 minutes away from my home.

going up the hill

This morning was so sunny, but very cold, in fact my little thermometer read -0.5 degrees centigrade, so I didn’t stop for long but instead walked briskly up the hill!

at the top!

Once at the top I was rewarded with this… I see this most days as this is where I walk the dogs, however, today I appreciated it more than ever…maybe the bitter cold coupled with the glorious sunshine had something to do with it.

Jess at 16 weeks

Little Jess enjoyed it too, Alf didn’t hang around for his photo! Anyway, here are the pictures of ‘that gorgeousness’ I promised you…this is what I have been hooking this afternoon

Cosy blanket by Attic 24

Yes this is the glorious, heavenly to hook Cosy blanket which is currently part of a crochet along that is being hosted by the enormously talented Lucy of Attic 24. This one is the ‘her’ part of the ‘his and hers’ set I am making for my Mom and Dad for Christmas….the colour way is beautiful and is from the Attic 24 shop at Wool Warehouse and comes as a pack called ‘cottage’… my Dad’s colours I selected individually and look like this

for my Dad

My Dad’s blanket will be the same pattern as my Mom’s to complete the set. Do you want to have a look at that pattern again… close up

colour therapy

So simple, but so beautiful.

I’ve looked high and low…

Published on October 13, 2014October 14, 2014 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

Apologies for my distinct absence lately… I’ve found myself waking each morning yearning to create and yet by the time I’m home from work and the chores are done and I have the opportunity to hook, that a severe melancholy rises up from within and my hook stays in it’s case….

I fear I may have lost my crojo!!!

I’ve looked high and low…I have tried and tried… I have put my hooks away and I have got them back out… I’ve thumbed the delightful pages of books and magazines… trawled through many of your lovely project pages on ravelry, where fleetingly my heart skipped at so many inspiring creations, only to find myself with yarn and hook in hand and still no hooking action.

Holey!!!!

My brother dropped round last week, to my horror with the blanket I had made as a wedding present last year. It had a hole in it and he wanted me to repair it, as now the evenings are chillier, the blanket is required once more. A hole!!!!

As I mended, I certainly didn’t feel inspired and worried about other gifts I had made… what if?….!!!!

repair in progress

With the repair done and my brother gone, I reflected that actually, that wedding blanket is super heavy and probably with hindsight, should have had a more substantial joining method than the pretty but delicate flat braid join that I gave it… hence the hole. I did take some close up pics to cheer my soul a little…

crocodile flower by Joyce Lewis

double treble burst, Crochetville

wedding present

It is a very pretty blanket.

In other news, Little Jess has finally found a best friend in Alfie and this has really warmed my heart, after 2 weeks of grumbling and growling our Alf decided that Jess was not so bad after all.

best friends now x

Importantly, the evenings are now drawing in nicely, I so love this time of year,

The evenings are really beginning to draw in now... — The evenings are really beginning to draw in now…

drawing the curtains, lighting the candles and snuggling in for the evening… what could be better… maybe just a little crochet

settling in for the evening

So, please would you have a little look to see if you have any extra crojo that you could send to me… I’m desperate!

xxx